Announcement of the 2026 NAFIC High School Student "Miwa Somen" Cooking Contest

NAFIC (Nara Agriculture and Food International College) is a vocational school established by Nara Prefecture to nurture human resources who will support the world of "food" and "agriculture."

We will hold a cooking contest for high school students with the theme of "Miwa Somen," a traditional food product of Nara Prefecture.

1. Purpose and Organizer

Purpose: To improve the cooking skills and expressiveness of high school students, who will be the next generation, using the traditional Nara food product "Miwa Somen" as a theme, and to promote understanding of regional food and foster food education.

Organizer: Nara Prefectural NAFIC (Nara Agriculture and Food International College)

Co-organizer: Auberge de Sanvi

Sponsor: Miwa Somen Industry Cooperative Association, Nara Prefecture; Miwa Somen Sales Council, Nara Prefecture

2. Overview

Name: NAFIC High School Student "Miwa Somen" Cooking Contest

Theme: "Creative Noodle Dish Based on French or Italian Cuisine Using Miwa Somen"

Judging Process:

Preliminary Round (Document screening of recipes and dish photos): Selection of the top 6 teams

Final Competition (Cooking assessment, presentation, and awards ceremony at NAFIC)

3. Application Requirements

Target: Students of high schools, vocational high schools, and technical colleges in the Kinki region (Nara, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Wakayama prefectures) and Mie Prefecture, participating individually or as a team of two.

Must be able to participate in the final competition.

4. Cooking Conditions (Key Points)

Must use Miwa Somen and be based on French or Italian cuisine.

Use ingredients that are relatively easy to obtain at home, with a target ingredient cost per serving (excluding somen cost) of no more than 500 yen.

If using dashi, use commercially available products.

Cooking Time: 60 minutes maximum, including weighing, preparation, cooking for display, and portioning for tasting. After the presentation (oral: within 5 minutes), cleanup within 20 minutes.

5. Application Method and Schedule

Application Method: Download the "Application Form" and "Entry Sheet" from the NAFIC website, fill in the required information, and submit via the electronic application form or by mail.

Application Period: July 1, 2026 (Wed) - September 30, 2026 (Wed) [Must Arrive by Deadline]

Main Schedule: Late October: Notification of preliminary round results

November 1, 2026 (Sun): Venue Tour (for interested teams only) *

December 6, 2026 (Sun): Final Competition *

* Both events will be held at NAFIC. School buses will be available for transportation from Kintetsu/JR Sakurai Station on the day.

6. Awards

1st Place: Prize: Lunch pair invitation ticket to Auberge de Sanvi

2nd Place: Prize: Assortment of Miwa Somen

3rd Place: Prize: Assortment of baked sweets

4th to 6th Place: Prize: Assortment of vegetables and jam

In addition, all teams participating in the final competition will receive Miwa Somen separately from the above prizes.

7. Contact Information

Nara Prefectural NAFIC (Nara Agriculture and Food International College)

Food Creative Department, Food and Training Section TEL: 0744-46-9700

URL: https://www.pref.nara.lg.jp/site/nafic/contest.html

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